Somebody should be, sending out copies of Little Brother to everyone in that school district.

I'm surprised by the response of the ACLU, how does privacy not fall under their area?

While privacy is not a constitutional right in this country, and privacy laws are few and far between, there should be a way to create a ruckus over this. What if all the students who don't want it, change schools to a saner one?

No doubt. I see the situation getting ugly, really quick, even just on the political front. Add in all of the problems that come from both lack of understanding 'proper' implementation, and some wily, technical kids, and you're introducing a recipe for disaster. I understand their desire, and I understand their 'business logic', in that they're trying to cut truancy through increased monitoring, etc, so that they can obtain additional govt funding, but I think it's taking it just a little to far.

Back in my school days, teachers actually kept track of attendance. If a kid wasn't in class, punishment was handed down. Aside of a desire to lessen each teacher's direct responsibility in this area, I don't truly see the measure as a worthwhile endeavor. And honestly, with SOME (not trying to single out good versus bad teachers here) teachers already NOT pulling their weight, how much less should they be expected to do...?

(Edit - note, about 14 years ago, I was the network manager / IT go to guy, for a LARGE school district in Ohio. I never would've dreamed of pulling a stunt like this.)

~ hayabusa ~

"All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved." - Sun Tzu, 'The Art of War'

chrisj wrote:Somebody should be, sending out copies of Little Brother to everyone in that school district.

I'm surprised by the response of the ACLU, how does privacy not fall under their area?

While privacy is not a constitutional right in this country, and privacy laws are few and far between, there should be a way to create a ruckus over this. What if all the students who don't want it, change schools to a saner one?

Minor's rights are currently a massive grey area in law. They aren't adults so the full rights that adults enjoy don't apply to them while at the same time, they are protected from entering into contracts and the like that can get adults into trouble.

ACLU and the EEF would be leaping straight into that quagmire headfirst if they took up that case.

But the ACLU and the EFF have both already been involved in the case of the kid in PA with Mike and Ikes. Yes the laws are gray, but there are also ways around that, if the parents bring up the case, or other. Which the ACLU should know and make recommendations of, not just wash their hands of it.